News / Palestine

Official warns of ‘dangerous’ situation in Gaza amid surge in COVID-19 cases

Wednesday, 31 March 2021 5:13 PM [ Last Update: Wednesday, 31 March 2021 5:36 PM ]

A Palestinian medical worker collects a swab sample from a boy to be tested for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in the southern Gaza Strip. (File photo by Reuters)

With Israel’s blockade in place and amid hard times of the coronavirus pandemic, the “epidemiological situation” in the besieged Gaza Strip is now “dangerous,” says Magdy Dahir, deputy director of primary care at the Gaza Health Ministry.

The ministry on Wednesday stated that over 1,060 coronavirus cases had been registered during the past 24 hours, the highest daily figure in several months.

“There is a clear increase in hospitalizations,” Dahir said.

Gaza has recorded at least 65,500 coronavirus infections and about 610 deaths since the COVID-19 outbreak several months ago.

Israel stands accused of practicing ‘vaccine apartheid.’

The regime does not provide jabs to the Palestinians, despite calls by several international organizations to ensure coronavirus vaccine doses are provided to Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza.

On December 19, 2020, Israel began its coronavirus inoculation drive, which included settlers in the West Bank.

The Gaza Health Ministry also stated on Wednesday that only 20,663 Palestinians in Gaza had been vaccinated.

In an attempt to curb the spread of the virus, the Hamas resistance movement has imposed new restrictions on gatherings starting from Wednesday, according to the Gaza Hotels and Restaurants Association.

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